Papers of M. M. Fidler
Extent and Medium
68 boxes
Biographical History
Michael M. Fidler (1916-89) was born in Salford, the fourth child of two Lithuanian Jewish emigres, Louis and Golda Fidler, who ran a hardware shop in Salford. In 1924 Louis, with his brother Harris, established their own waterproof garment factory, H. and L. Fidler and Co. Ltd. Michael Fidler joined the firm in 1932 as a trainee factory manager. He was managing director of H. and L. Fidler Ltd., from 1941; of Michael Lewis Ltd., from 1942; and of Wibye Ltd, from 1968. He held a number of positions in the garment and clothing industry, as a member of the Clothing Advisory Committee of the Board of Trade, 1942-9; and joint chairman of the National Joint Clothing Council of Great Britain, 1953-7; honorary secretary of the British Rainwear Manufacturers Federation, 1941-8, and vice chairman, 1948-63. Michael Fidler was a member of the Board of Deputies of British Jews from 1942, its President, 1967-73, and chairman of its foreign affairs committee, 1973-9; and president of the Jewish Representative Council in Manchester, 1966-8. He had a distinguished masonic career and was a Grand Lodge officer from 1968 until his death. His political career began in 1951: elected as an independent councillor for Sedgley Park Ward, Prestwich Borough Council, he became Prestwich's first Jewish mayor in 1957-8, and he held a great many offices in organisations in the Prestwich area. Fidler later joined the Conservative Party and became MP for Bury and Radcliffe, 1970-4. He founded the Conservative Friends of Israel in 1974 and was its director until his death.
Scope and Content
Papers relating to clothing manufacture, 1943-56; Federation of British Clothing Manufacturers, 1943; British Rainwear Manufacturers' Association, 1960-2; H. and L.Fidler Ltd., c.1947-53, 1970
Papers relating to politics, local government and local organisations, including Prestwich council, 1951-69; the Bury and Radcliffe Conservative Association, 1974-82; Bury Easterly By-pass, 1970-2; Council of Manchester and Salford Jews, 1957-69 (3 files); Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region, 1975-86; Lancashire Education Committee, Division 19 (Prestwich, Radcliffe and Whitefield), 1953-67 (2 files); Manchester and District Deputies of the Board of Deputies, 1958-88; Manchester Jewish Social Services, 1953 86; Prestwich Jewish coronation service, 1953
Papers as Member of Parliament, 1970-5 (11 files)
Conservative Friends of Israel, 1974 89 (13 files)
Board of Deputies, 1966-78 (48 files), including committee papers for Board meetings, 1968-75, papers relating to the Middle East, the foreign affairs committee, 1967-79, correspondence as President, the 1971 immigration bill, Soviet Jewry and the World Jewish Congress.
Subject files of correspondence, 1955-89, including the Action Committee for Arab Jewry, AJEX, anti-defamation matters, Argentinean Jewry, capital punishment, Federation of Jewish Youth Societies, the Institute of Jewish Studies, the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, the Palestine Liberation Organisation office in London, United Nations Association Jewish affiliates co-ordinating committee, the Warsaw Ghetto Commemoration Committee and the World Conference of Jewish Organisations
Papers for the Holy Law Congregation, Manchester, 1933-72
Conditions Governing Access
Open for consultation
Finding Aids
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Publication Note
For a full biography, Bill Williams MICHAEL FIDLER (1916-1989): A STUDY IN LEADERSHIP (privately printed, Manchester, 1997).